Springs of Suna
by happywanderer2
Summary: Kiba is in Suna on a routine mission when a crisis arises that threatens the existence of the village. Soon Kiba and Kankuro find themselves facing a less than routine foe.
1. A Tall Cold Glass of Water

Springs of Suna

Kiba is in Suna on a routine mission when a crisis arises that might threaten the existence of the village. Soon Kiba and Kankuro find themselves facing a less than routine foe. Rated M for language, violence, and smut. Mostly not my characters, Masashi Kishimoto made up the really cool ones.

One-A Tall Cold Glass of Water

Kiba stepped into Kankuro's apartment, holding the door for Akamaru. Under normal circumstances Kiba would have found it too hot and stuffy inside, but right then it was heaven compared to the scorching heat outside. It was just mid-morning, but the streets of Suna were like an oven. Kiba walked over to a chair and sat, grateful to be off his feet. Akamaru collapsed beside him to lean heavily on his knee. The nin-dog looked just as exhausted as Kiba felt.

The mission had not sounded all that hard. He and Akamaru were supposed to help the Sand shinobi in their search for potential Akatsuki hideouts. Ever since the demon had been taken from Gaara, the Sand shinobi had been conducting a wide scale search of their lands, hoping to gain clues that might help stop the Akatsuki. At first Kiba had been looking forward to the mission. In the wake of Asuma's death he had felt terrible. He had not been part of the group that went after the killers, although he had begged to go. And Kiba just did not know what to say or do about his sensei; when he had visited Kurenai, he had ended up just standing there, staring at his feet saying nothing, feeling useless. Shino and Hinata had retreated into their family compounds for specialized training, so Kiba did not even have them for companionship. Therefore, when the mission came along, he had jumped at the chance to get away. He was happy to help out and it was a chance to _do _something. Looking back on it now, he realized that he had been stupid. What had he been thinking? His impression of the desert surrounding Suna had been a little hazy and dead wrong, as it turned out. He had expected to search through some sand, liberally interspersed with nice oases. They would look around, report anything they saw, and he would hang out with Kankuro. Instead, he had spent two grueling weeks tracking over endless expanses of sand and heat baked soil, prying into caves and crevices that were full of snakes, insects, and sometimes worse things. They had to work at night and spent most of the day futilely trying to stay cool and hydrated. The only thing keeping him on his feet by the end was his pride. Two members of the group had to be admitted to the hospital for their dehydration and they had found nothing of interest. Kankuro had delivered a quick verbal report to Baki and then told Kiba that he could stay with him until he was rested enough to go back to Konoha.

Kankuro came out of his work shop; he had ducked in to drop off his scrolls, and gestured for Kiba to follow him. He had removed his cowl and when he ran his hand through his hair it raised a cloud of dust. Kiba followed him into the kitchen, thinking that the more time he spent with Kankuro, the less he seemed to know about him. Jounin were meant to be leaders and teachers and although Kankuro was a powerful fighter, Kiba had always had a hard time imagining him leading and especially teaching. He had a short temper, swore way too much, and did not seem to like too many people. True to form, he had grumbled and muttered about how the whole mission was stupid; the search had been going on for more than a month already, they were not going to find anything. He had scowled at the council members who had briefed them, saying that they were mostly idiots who were just trying to keep the shinobi of the village exhausted and on edge so that if anyone did attack it would look like they could not protect themselves. On the day they left, he had exchanged insults with, and made faces at Temari; a pretty unjounin-like activity in Kiba's opinion, but it was apparently a ritual of some sort between the two of them. He had hoisted his scrolls onto his back, patted the water canteens at his hips, run a critical eye over the small group of genin and chunin that made up the search party, muttered something about 'getting this shit over with', and led them off into the desert. Once he was in the field however, Kiba realized that Kankuro was indeed a jounin. He did not do anything to dispel the fear and awe some of the other shinobi seemed to have of him, but his behavior was familiar to Kiba. He had seen it for years in the jounin of his own village. Kankuro was _not_ like Gai or Kakashi; instead, he had the same aura of brusque authority that Kiba had associated with Asuma and sometimes Kurenai. Kankuro saw to it that the search was carried out in an efficient and safe manner. When the genin got carried away and made mistakes Kankuro would call them names and glare at them, but he also explained what they had done wrong and made sure they understood their errors. He watched over the group, Kiba was sure that his vigilance had cost him sleep, and in the last few days of the mission Kiba had noticed that he had gone without water so the rest of the group could maintain regular rations. They had not found anything of interest, but Kiba had realized that when it came to missions into the vast desert that hid Suna, just getting back in one piece was reason enough declare the mission a success.

Kiba followed Kankuro's broad back into the kitchen. He sat in a chair and watched Akamaru sprawl on the floor, pressing his belly to the cool tiles. Kankuro opened the refrigerator door and removed a jug of water. He got a bowl and two glasses out of a cupboard. Kiba felt a whine start in the back of his throat. He was tempted to grab the jug, jump into the fridge, and pull the door closed. Kankuro poured a small amount of water into the glasses and the bowl and passed them around. Kiba noticed that his hands shook just a little as he did so, the only indication that Kankuro was feeling the effects of the heat.

Akamaru stuffed his nose in the bowl.

"Go slow, mutt," Kankuro rasped. "Or you'll get sick."

"Just sip it boy," Kiba said and made himself sip his water. The inside of his mouth adsorbed it all before his tongue even registered its taste. In a few more sips it was gone. Kiba looked at his empty glass, the full jug, and then he did whine.

Kankuro snorted and poured a little more water. They continued to take small slow drinks until the water jug was three-quarters empty. Then Kankuro returned to the fridge and got a small bowl of fruit and a small bowl of what smelled like unsalted beef broth. He gave the bowl of broth to Akamaru and shared the grapes with Kiba. Kiba had never been so happy to eat fruit in his whole life.

"These are fresh. Did Temari get them for you?"

"Baki probably had some genin do it. Probably Hajime, he's mostly a brat, but would know enough to set stuff aside for your mutt." Kankuro got up again and took a second jug from the fridge. "This has stuff to help restore our electrolytes. Not sure if the mutt can drink it though."

"Let's see." Kiba sniffed the contents. "Should be okay. I'll just give him a little." He put some in Akamaru's water bowl and poured some into their glasses.

In a few more minutes Kiba was starting to feel better, but his skin and clothes were still dusty and itchy. He ran his hands through his hair, making a face at the gritty feel and sound. He shifted in his seat, sand had gotten just _everywhere_.

"Man, I don't remember it being this hot when I was here before."

"You were here during the cool season before."

"Cool?! It wasn't cool then."

"Compared to now, it was." The familiar smirk appeared on Kankuro's face. "Not too smart mutt, you chose the worst time to come here, during The Crucible."

"Hey! I was trying to help out. Crucible? What's that?"

"A three to four week preview of hell." Kankuro waved his hand at the shuttered window. "The village mostly shuts down except for a couple of hours at night." He shook his head. "It's the absolute worst time to be out in the desert. I still can't believe those idiot council morons made us continue searching." He snorted. "Actually, I sort of can believe it. Morons."

"So how does everyone manage when it is so hot? I guess you have to deal with some massive water shortages when it's like this."

"Not as much as you might think. We have a good system, we have to, otherwise the village wouldn't survive. Sometimes we have to ration water near the end of the season, but not always."

"So what do you do?"

"A bunch of things. We make good use of the water we have, efficient plumbing, good recycling, and we reuse."

"Reuse!" Kiba glanced at the water in his glass and made a face. "As in…"

"Not drinking water! But think of the other things you use water for, like a toilet. That gets reused."

"How do you do that?"

"Oh, various ways." Kankuro grinned. "I'd tell you the secrets of Suna's sewage, but then I'd have to kill you."

Kiba snorted. "Idiot."

"You must be starting to feel better."

"Yeah. You too I guess?"

Kankuro nodded and slouched into his chair. "Mission's over, so yeah."

Kiba poured more water for Akamaru. "Well, thanks for the water and a place to stay."

"Someone's got to take care of you frail little Leafies. Do you want to get cleaned up?"

"Hell yeah, but if water's being rationed…"

Kankuro waved a hand. "We can make exceptions for guests. And I made some arrangements ahead of time."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Like what? I don't really want to deprive anyone of water, you know."

"Don't worry mutt." Now a familiar grin appeared on his face. "We'll get you clean and conserve water at the same time."

-0000-

On the far edges of the Sand village nothing moved, even the constant winds that stirred the sand had stopped. The sun beat down on the hard packed ground, making the still air too hot to breathe. Three figures emerged out of the shimmering heat and headed towards a clump of rocks. All three were wearing dun coloured clothing, had their heads wrapped, and were wearing heavy goggles. They stopped the entrance to a cave, well hidden in the cluster of rocks. One stepped up to the cave mouth, placing his hands together in preparation for jutsu. When he looked over his shoulder, one of the others made a gesture that said 'get on with it', so he turned back, summoning his concentration and chakra. He had completed three or four hand signs when there was a sizzle and flash of light. He had no time to move or even turn his head before he was engulfed in a wash of blue-white flame. His clothes caught fire in an instant; he barely had time to scream before his body was incinerated. He collapsed, curled into a crispy ball.

The smaller of the two remaining intruders gasped. Her companion took her shoulder and pushed her towards the entrance. She stepped around her former partner and into the cave, half-expecting another attack, but nothing happened. They went a little way in and then stopped.

Ryo lifted her goggles and removed the mouth piece of her respirator. Breathing without it outside would be like inhaling fire.

"What was that?!" she demanded. "You said they were only protected by earth-style seals!"

Her employer shrugged and removed his mouth piece. "I said I was fairly confident that was all they used. That was earth-style, but infused with something else…some combustive metal perhaps. It must have been created by the Third. It was impressive wasn't it?"

"You bastard! You knew that might happen, and you still let Shinju trigger it!"

"The best way to clear that kind of trap is to trigger it. Now, don't get any funny ideas, girl. Remember we have a contract and you did say 'whatever it takes I will see the Sand fall'. Do you no longer mean that?"

"No! I still mean it. It's just… I didn't expect…" She took a deep breath. "Let's go."

"After you my dear."


	2. Two Shinobi in a Tub

Note Bene dear readers. What follows is smut. Apparently I am incapable of putting Kiba and Kankuro in the same room without smut happening. Degenerate? Yes. Does that stop me? No! However, if it is not your cup of tea, you can skip this chapter and not miss anything important plot wise. If you see any 'point Five' chapters in the future (not saying that there will be) expect the same thing.

One Point Five-Two Shinobi in a Tub

"This is much better." Kiba sighed and sank lower into the tub. Something occurred to him and he laughed. "This must be what all those dried up vegetables feel like when you add water to instant soup."

Across from him, Kankuro wrinkled his nose. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You know, those instant soups with the dried noodles and vegetables. Haven't you ever had one?"

"Can't say that I have."

"That's weird. Naruto practically lives on them."

"All the more reason to stay away from them. What's weird is thinking you're a dried vegetable. You must've fried a few brain cells out there, mutt."

Kiba flicked some water at him. "Shut up."

Kankuro snorted. "Snappy come back." He ducked his head under the water.

Kiba let his head sag against the rim of the tub and worked his shoulders to loosen up the muscles. There was nothing like a good soak to make one feel human again after a long mission. The tub was a little cramped, but Kiba did not mind, he was rehydrated and sand free. Kankuro resurfaced, his hair plastered against his skull, dark and sleek. He draped his arms over the sides of the tub, letting his long arms dangle, fingers just brushing the floor. Kiba's gaze was drawn to his hands. Strong hands. Clever fingers. Very clever fingers.

Kankuro saw his look. "See something of interest?"

Kiba grinned. "Maybe." He made a show of looking around. "This is pretty nice. Big tub, big shower. Kinda decadent for a shinobi."

"It was like this when I moved in. The place was originally used as guest quarters. Anything for a valued ally and all that."

"Oh yeah? Anything?"

"Pretty much. Why? Got something in mind?" Kankuro's dark eyes were half-closed and he had a lazy smirk on his face. He draped one leg over the side of the tub. Kiba's eyes went wide, not sure if the gesture was an invitation; Kankuro just did not bottom that easily. For a moment, he wondered if it was a heat induced hallucination. He pushed away from his end of the tub and settled into the space Kankuro had made for him, letting his body sink slowly. He ran his hands across Kankuro's chest, trailing water over his skin.

Kankuro pushed his fingers into Kiba's hair and pulled him closer. "Let's see if all that water did you any good."

Kiba relaxed even further as Kankuro kissed him, letting the Sand shinobi's tongue explore his mouth while Kiba's hands explored his body. Kankuro must have added some sort of oil to the bath water that made their skin slick and smooth. Kankuro ran his hands down Kiba's back, it was hard to tell if he was touching Kiba or just swirling the water over him, but the fingers that pulled their hips closer together were real. After two weeks of gritty, dry sand, the feel of the water and slick skin was almost enough to overload Kiba's senses. Kiba moaned and wiggled, trying to press them together even tighter.

Kankuro released his mouth. "Whining already. You must be tired."

"I don't whine."

"Heh, riiight. You whine more than your mutt."

"Shut up."

"If you like." Kankuro smirked. "But it's more interesting if I make _some_ noise."

He pulled Kiba's head back down so he could nip at his throat and ear. Kiba could not suppress his response, those clever hands never failed to turn him on. Kiba pushed away so he could look down at Kankuro; his predatory smirk and the languid sprawl of his arms and legs.

"So?" Kankuro tilted his head back and closed his eyes; his low, arrogant voice was the same as a teasing caress. "I'll keep on talking, you keep on whining. Or maybe…?"

Kiba shifted a knee against Kankuro's thigh, pushing the leg still in the tub to one side and pushed two fingers deep inside Kankuro.

"Ngh, watch the nails, mutt." Kankuro's back arched, sending a wash of water over Kiba.

"Quit whining." He added a third finger and Kankuro hissed, his back arching further and legs spreading wider.

"Was an order, not a whine," he grated out from between clenched teeth.

Kiba's fingers scrabbled for a good grip on Kankuro's hips and thighs as him pushed into the Sand shinobi. The water's resistance did not allow him to thrust hard, but it felt like his body was being caressed every time he moved. He looked down, watching Kankuro use his formidable upper body strength to match his movements.

"Man, you were serious about the anything for a guest thing."

"Heh, I meant the bath. You'll reciprocate for this a little later." Kankuro tossed his head. "C'mon mutt, put your back into it."

Kiba choked out a laugh, only Kankuro could manage to sound bossy and arrogant even as he was fucked by another man. He also remained articulate, although his voice was getting huskier by the moment.

"Oh yeah. Later I'm gonna have you on your elbows and knees, face down on the sheets. And you'll whine the whole time, at least until you start to howl in the end."

Kiba grunted out a protest that made Kankuro grin; he could feel the effect of his words on Kiba's body. "Riiight. Something tells me your body likes the idea very much."

Kiba growled out another denial. There was no way that he would ever admit that he did like Kankuro's breath on his neck, his voice vibrating along his body, and that skilled and deadly hand on his cock. He was an Inuzuka after all! He needed to make Kankuro stop talking before he lost all control. It was hard to get a good grip on Kankuro's slick shoulders and hips so Kiba curled his hands around the lip of the tub, nails screeching along the porcelain, and slammed into the Sand shinobi as hard as he could. Water churned and sloshed between them until Kiba collapsed, panting and shaking onto Kankuro's chest. He unclenched his hands from the tub rim and ran then up Kankuro's shoulders and neck and into his hair, which was already dry again. Kankuro allowed him a few moments to recover before pushing Kiba onto his knees.

"Got your breath back yet?"

"Yeah." Kiba tried not to pant out the word.

"Good," Kankuro drawled. "Then we can continue."

"Huh?"

"We're not quite finished here yet."

Kankuro rolled his hips. Kiba looked down and realized that Kankuro was still hard. Strong fingers twined into Kiba's hair and tugged.

"Huh…but…water."

"Don't worry, mutt." Kankuro reached out with his other hand and shifted the standpipe out of the tub's drain. "By the time you need to breathe the water will be gone."

The hand in Kiba's hair tugged again, harder this time. Kankuro arched and stretched and kneaded his fingers into Kiba's scalp, his smirk curled like a cat's tail.

"C'mon mutt, a little more fluid won't hurt you at all."


	3. Troubled Waters

Two-Troubled Waters

Kiba listened to the murmur of voices coming from the Kazekage's office. The walls of the room were thick and laced with some sort of jutsu that muffled sound. Kiba could sometimes make out who was speaking, but not what they were saying; Baki's low, commanding tones, the nasal whine of one of the council members, Kankuro's angry rumble, and Temari's lighter tone. If Gaara had said anything it was too soft for even Kiba's ears.

He shifted on the bench; he could not quite shake the feeling that they were talking about him. He had spent a lot of time on benches outside of rooms like this, usually with one of (or all of) Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji, waiting to find out his punishment, so it was sort of a natural reaction. But there was no way he had done anything wrong. Something else was going on; something big, judging by the look on everyone's faces when they had gone in.

Kiba looked at the kid sitting across from him; he had brought the message to Kankuro that his presence was required in the meeting. Kiba had tagged along, not really sure what else to do. When the kid saw him looking, he smiled shyly at Kiba. He was about nine or ten years old, Kiba guessed, either still in the academy or just barely a genin. The kid chewed on his lip, Kiba could tell that he was trying to get up the nerve to speak; Hinata did the same thing sometimes.

"Thanks for delivering the message. What's your name?"

A pleased blush spread across the kid's face. "You're welcome. It was nothing, Inuzuka-san. I'm Hajime."

"Oh, hey, are you the one that left the water and stuff for us? Thanks, that was great, especially the stuff you left for Akamaru."

Akamaru woofed his agreement. He padded over to the boy to lick his outstretched fingers and accepted a scratch behind the ears.

Now Hajime's ears were bright red. "It was nothing. I'm glad I could be of use."

"It was just the thing he needed. You must have a dog too."

"No, no. But one of my brothers is a vet. I help out sometimes."

"Oh yeah, so's my sister."

Hajime nodded. "Inuzuka Hana, my brother has mentioned her. He thinks she's a good vet."

"Yeah, she's pretty smart."

Hajime nodded and went silent, swinging his feet and chewing on his lip some more. Kiba could tell that there was something else he wanted to ask.

He's probably curious about being a dog-nin, he thought, kids always are.

Hajime chewed for a few more seconds and then took a deep breath. "Are you here to help Kankuro-san fix Shanshouo? Have you seen him?" The words came out in a rush.

"Umm, what? Well…" Kiba blinked in surprise. It was the first that he had heard of it. He had assumed that Kankuro had already fixed his puppets after he had recovered from his fight with Sasori.

"Shanshouo's broken?"

Hajime's face fell. "Oh. You're not here to help. I've been trying to find out how things are going, but…" Hajime shrugged. "He's really good at making seals to protect his workshop."

"Did you try asking him?"

Hajime shook his head. "Oh, no, I couldn't do that. I mean…he's a jounin and he's the puppet master. Why would he tell _me_ anything?"

"Aren't you one of his students?"

Hajime shook his head. "No." He slouched, looking dejected, then he sat up straight and his face brightened. "I wish I was though. Being a puppeteer would be the best!"

"Really? You think so?" Kiba could not imagine wanting to be a puppeteer, it seemed like a lot of work and the puppets were just too creepy. It did not matter how much time he spent with Kankuro, he just could not get over the creepiness of those puppets. Kuroari in particular really bothered Kiba (not that he would ever admit it out loud), he had seen the red-horned puppet in action. Just the thought of that dark, gaping, blood scented cavity in its torso sent a shiver down his spine.

Hajime nodded. It was something he had wanted from the moment he had seen Kankuro fight in a demonstration match. Kankuro had been a chunin at the time, but he had still defeated a squad of a jounin and three chunin. He had been so cool, handling Karasu and Kuroari with skill and style. Hajime had decided right then and there that he would become a shinobi and wear a fierce purple mask of war paint while he launched his puppets against dozens of enemies. After a lot of hard work, he had graduated from the new Suna shinobi academy, but he had been unable to find a way to get Kankuro to teach him. He kept trying to come up with ways to get noticed, but nothing seemed to work.

"Have you told him that you want to be a puppeteer?" Kiba's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"No. I really want to, but I don't know…I can't just walk up to him and…" Hajime looked up; the door to the office had opened. He bolted to his feet and stood at attention.

Everyone walked out, wearing expressions that contained various degrees of worry and anger. Two of the council members headed off, one turning his head to give Kankuro a sour look before he disappeared around a corner. Kankuro's lip curled into a sneer.

"Moron."

Temari made an exasperated noise. "Just let it go Kankuro. Now's not the time." She looked back into the office. "Just keep your cool. Gaara's depending on you."

Kankuro muttered something else and glared at the hallway where the council members had disappeared.

"Kankuro." Temari reached into her sleeve and pulled out a fan. "Don't make me smack you."

"All right. All right. Damn." Kankuro raised one hand in surrender. "But you know I'm right. If they hadn't insisted that we spend all that time and man power on that stupid search, this never would have happened."

"There may be some truth to that Kankuro, but the time for such an analysis comes later," Baki said. "For now, focus on the task at hand."

"Yeah, I got it. Don't worry, I got it. I'll go right now. I'll come by your office to let you know what I find out."

"Very good. I'm going to check the duty roster to see if I can find some extra man power for guard duty." Baki looked at the remaining council member. "Eisuke, thank-you for volunteering to help us. When you have any information, come and see me."

"Please, it is no trouble. Anything I can do to help. I will use all my business contacts." The man's worried look deepened. "But I really don't feel right about not letting people know. What if…"

"Everything seems safe for now. There is no point in causing a panic unless we have to. I will put together a team of some of my best men to keep a look out around the city. If anyone becomes ill or anything else, we will be on top of it."

"I suppose that's for the best." Eisuke still did not look convinced. "Okay, then, I'll be off." He nodded to the group and left.

"Good." Baki turned and walked away. "Hajime, you're with me."

"Yes, Baki-san!" the boy hurried after the jounin.

"I'm off too." Temari pointed her fan at Kankuro again. "And remember, be polite, Kankuro."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem."

Temari made a noise that indicated that she was not convinced. The fan swiveled to point at Kiba. "Make sure he behaves as well. No drooling or stuff like that."

"Hey! I don't drool!" Kiba protested.

"I meant the dog, but it's nice to know you have _some_ self-control." Temari smirked at him, looking quite a bit like her brother. The fan pointed at them both again. "Behave!"

Kankuro made a face at his sister's back as she left.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked.

"I'll explain as we go. By the way, Gaara is writing to the Hokage to see if your mission here can be extended by a few days. I'm pretty sure she'll say yes, so I'll go ahead and brief you now. Hope you enjoyed the vacation while it lasted, mutt."

"So what happened?"

Kankuro looked around as they walked; checking to make sure that no one else was around. "Last night, some one broke through one of the wards sealing an entrance to one of our wells. A powerful seal, guarding a secret location."

"Did anything happen to the well?"

"No, not yet. As far as we can tell, only the seal was broken. We need to get in there, find them, and stop them, before anything happens to our water supply."

"That would be bad, huh?"

Kankuro looked grim. "Very. And this is top secret, Inuzuka. If civilians find out, they'll panic and people will get hurt. And we can't appear vulnerable to anyone who might want to attack us."

Kiba nodded. "Got it. So where are we going?"

"To get information about the lay out of our water system. I really wasn't kidding yesterday with that crack about the sewers; that sort of information is way beyond top secret."

"You don't know where your wells are?"

"I know the locations of the secondary reservoirs, but I don't know the details of the well placements. Hell, even Gaara doesn't know."

"That's a little weird, ya know."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you lived here. Damn, I always forget how easy you guys have it in Konoha. Without that water supply, the village dies fast and it won't be pretty. Protecting the water is critical and that means keeping the details about its source secret. But we'll need some info to find and stop these intruding bastards."

"And that is where?"

"The library of course. C'mon mutt let's hustle. We've got some research to do."

-0000-

Ryo squinted down the tunnel. It was too dark to see very far, but she could tell that it got too narrow for humans within a few hundred meters. She slid her pack from her shoulders and began to unpack her equipment.

"You were right about the layout. It makes no sense, though. There's no easy way to maintain or guard it."

"Oh, they have a way. Once the old man is gone they will have problems, but for now it is a clever system."

"Do you think he'll send anything after us?" Ryu asked. She set the last of her equipment cases out, aligning them in a neat row. She flipped open the latches on the one that held her neural interface. She ran her fingers over it, making sure that the delicate circuits had survived the trip through the scorching desert.

"He might."

She frowned. "Then why are we doing it like this? The longer we hang around, the greater the chance we'll get caught." She opened a second case, to reveal a row of gleaming metal. She pointed at the contents. "I could use one of these to deliver a poison or some explosives. Let's just do that and get out of here."

"No. It won't work. We would have to destroy all the wells and I don't know where the others are. They have other sources of water too, guarded by both civilians and shinobi. It is too much for just the two of us."

"Then you shouldn't have killed Shinju!"

"He wouldn't have made any difference. In any case, poison or explosives will not serve my purpose. I want the infrastructure intact. The village is no good without a water supply to support it."

"But…"

"Don't let your desire for revenge get in the way of my goals. Don't worry my dear, you will have your vengeance against the shinobi and I will get the title once denied me." He set down his pack and started to unpack his own gear. "Now, please, let's get to work."


	4. A Fountain of Information

Three-A Fountain of Information

Kiba looked at the narrow, dun coloured building. "In here?"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"It's kind of small and it doesn't look well fortified. You keep your important secrets _here_?"

"Isn't one of the first things a shinobi learns is looks can be deceiving? Hell, I thought you two were supposed to be some sort of chakra and jutsu sensing geniuses. Haven't you noticed anything?"

Kiba frowned at Kankuro and then turned his attention to the building, trying to get a sense of the place. After a few moments his frown deepened.

"What the hell?" Kiba looked at Akamaru. "What do you think boy?"

Akamaru barked, he was having the same trouble as Kiba. The nin-dog shook his head and made a disgruntled noise. He did not really want to go into that strange building.

"So?" One of Kankuro's eyebrows rose. He looked smug.

"I can't get a lock on anything. There's some strong jutsu working in there but it's impossible to say what it is. I'll almost get a chakra reading but then it slips away. And when I try again, it's changed. It's weird." He sniffed. "I can smell varnished wood and books though, so I know it's a library."

"So basically, all you know is what you could learn from reading the sign on the building?" Kankuro hooked his thumb at a small brass plaque that read simply 'Library'.

"Shut up! I'll bet you can't do any better."

Kankuro shrugged. "True, but that's not really my area of expertise. Most of the time I can't even tell there's jutsu at work. What I do know is that this place is _very_ well guarded. C'mon, let's go."

Akamaru followed his master. He really did not want to go in there; the place made him uneasy; it seemed small and yet large at the same time. The only good thing was that it was nice and cool inside. It was not even mid-morning, but outside it had been scorching hot. It was a short walk to the library from the admin building, but it had left Akamaru hot and parched. They walked into the quiet dark building, past rows and rows of book shelves, with hundreds of books and scrolls. Everything looked neat and well organized. After a short walk they arrived at a desk. The woman sitting behind it looked up, peering at them over her glasses.

"Kankuro, good morning."

Her gaze shifted to Kiba and then Akamaru. Kiba could see her eyes blinking behind her glasses. She looked like she was trying to remember something.

"Good morning Keiko-san." Kankuro saw her looking at Kiba and Akamaru. "This is…"

"Akamaru, by Kuromaru. Hmm, you must take after your mother; she was a mountain breed. Strong animals, good trackers, intelligent and loyal. I am guessing he has chakra sensing abilities. No vocal capabilities though, I see. Is that correct? I don't usually allow animals in here, but I suppose I could make an exception, since technically he is a working dog. What do you think?"

"Well, I…uh…" Kiba looked at Kankuro, at a loss for words.

Kankuro chuckled. "Keiko-san, this is Inuzuka Kiba."

"Oh, yes, last night's incident. His tracking abilities will be useful. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kiba. I guess that most of our trackers are still deployed in the desert?"

"Yeah." Kankuro's expression darkened. "Fucking idiot moron council members."

"Kankuro, neither the language nor the stacked modifiers are appropriate."

"Sorry, Keiko-san, but they're the reason we're spread so thin."

Kiba blinked in surprise, he had never heard Kankuro apologize to anyone for anything.

"Hmm, I am sure they mean only the best."

Kankuro's expression indicated that he did not agree.

"In any case, how may I help you today?" She smiled. "I hope you aren't going to ask me to help with tracking."

"No, Keiko-san, we are here to get some information about the location of the wells. It'll help us with the search."

Keiko's smile turned to a puzzled look. "You are asking me?"

"Well, yeah. That's the kind of information you guard, right?"

"Guard?" Kiba said, not sure that he had heard right. He looked at Keiko, she did not seem like she was the type to guard anything.

"Well, I don't know if that is exactly the right term. I prefer to think of myself as more of a custodian."

Kankuro snorted. Over the years, he had seen Keiko perform her duties as a 'custodian'. She was a jounin and a powerful one at that. On one occasion, she had even saved his life.

"However," she continued. "I am unable to show you that information."

"What?! You mean it's not here. But someone has to know the location of the wells and how to get to them."

"Yes, someone does. While most of the secondary sources of water, like the condensation collectors in the greenhouses, are well known, knowledge of the primary sources is restricted to just a few. It has been this way since the main wells were drilled under orders of the Second Kazekage. He implemented the secrecy policy. It was the Third, with the help of some brilliant engineers, who designed the reservoir system we use today. It is the reason why this village is able to survive. Those wells," Keiko paused. "Digging them combined both high level jutsu and superior engineering skills. Hmm, some of the notes on the techniques are in the reference section, heavily redacted, of course. They might be of interest to you Kankuro. I know you are always…"

"Maybe another day Keiko-san," Kankuro interrupted. "Who has that information right now? And what _do_ you have that will help us?"

"Well, I can tell you that Suna is served by four wells, and that their locations, access points, and protections are well documented.

"So there _are_ maps? Where are they?"

"They are here."

Kankuro ground his teeth together, trying not to yell. Sometimes talking to Keiko was like walking through a maze, but in the end it was always worth it. When he was younger and trying to learn how to use his puppets, she had helped him out many times; showing him useful books and giving good advice. She had been the one who taught him how to make the scrolls he used to carry Karasu, Kuroari, and Shanshouo.

"But you just said…"

"I said that I could not show you the information. I do not have the keys to the seals that protect them, but they are here." Her eyes unfocused for a few moments. "Yes, they are still here. I have considered once or twice trying to decipher the seals. Just as an academic exercise, though. The challenge of it…it has been so long since…"

After a few moments Kankuro cleared his throat. "Uh, Keiko-san…"

She blinked. "Oh, yes, sorry Kankuro. But I am afraid I cannot help you with that." She frowned. "But you should know all this. Didn't Ebizo-jii-sama explain it all to you?"

"Why would he? He wasn't even at the meeting."

"Didn't you invite him? He didn't come on his own?" Keiko's frown changed to a look of concern. "That is not good. Has anyone been to check on him?"

"No, why would we?" A possible reason occurred to Kankuro. "Are you saying he knows something about the attacks? Could he be responsible? Is he punishing us for…what happened?"

Keiko sighed. "Oh dear. I am afraid that the unfortunate events that made Ebizo-jii-sama and Chiyo-baa-sama seclude themselves are causing yet more trouble. It seems that everyone has forgotten the position he holds. Kankuro, I think that it is very important that you, Kiba, and Akamaru go and check on Ebizo-jii-sama right now."

"But Keiko-san we're kind of busy with this. Maybe he just…"

"No!" Keiko's voice took on a sharp tone of command that made Kiba and Kankuro jerk to attention. "Go now, Kankuro, and make sure he is unharmed. Ebizo-jii-sama has been many things during his life and one of those things is the guardian of the Springs of Suna. If anything has happened to him, it could mean the end of this village!"


	5. A Fountain of Destruction

Four- A Fountain of Destruction

The doctor scrubbed at his fingers, palms, and wrists. He made his way up his arms, going fast, but still scrubbing everything. It was a routine operation, but he was still careful. As he scrubbed, he ran his mind over the details of the procedure, visualizing what had to be done. After this, he would take a break until the worst heat of the day passed, do some paper work, spend some time with his students, and then go home.

A thump and squeal caught his attention. The faucet he was using twitched and there was a break in the stream of water. There was another loud bang somewhere in the depths of the hospital's plumbing system. The doctor pulled his hands from under the tap and waited, but the noise was not repeated and the flow of water continued without further interruption. He frowned; he could not remember any notices about disruptions to the water supply. After a few more moments of normal water flow he shrugged and resumed with his preparations.

Someone tapped on the glass behind him, a nurse. He looked around and she signaled to him that the operating room was ready. He nodded and turned back to the sink. He looked down at his hands, something small, round, and black had dropped onto the back of his wrist. It twitched and three pairs of legs unfolded. It looked like a shiny black beetle. The doctor frowned in annoyance; he was going to have to rescrub. He tried to brush it away, but he could not. Sharp looking jaws had appeared and clamped onto the back of his hand. The doctor yelped and smacked at the beetle. There was a stab of pain in his palm, slapping the beetle's back had sliced it open. There was another pinch on his arm, another black body had appeared. Then there was another, and the tiny stabs were blossoming into real pain. His eyes darted around, trying to locate the source. At least a dozen of the things were skittering around in the sink. The doctor realized that they were coming from the faucet. He turned it off, hoping that would stem the flow. His eyes grew wide in horror; the ones on his arm were starting to burrow under his skin. He batted at them; they were crawling all over him now, and yelled for help. Something tickled the back of his neck, he yelled and smacked at it, but all he did was make his hand bleed more. Then he felt something in his ear and began to scream.

The screams attracted the nurse and another doctor. The nurse took one look inside the scrub room and her face paled. She pressed both her hands to her mouth to stifle the scream that wanted to get out. The doctor had to shake her quite hard to get her attention. He had worked on battle fields when he had been younger so the mess in the scrub room did not affect him as much.

The nurse collected herself. She put her hand on the door knob.

"No." He stopped her.

"But we have to help…"

"He's beyond our help. Best we leave it closed to keep those things contained." He thought a moment. "Go and find some heavy tape. We should try to make sure that room is tightly shut. And find the closest patrol." He gave her another shake. "C'mon get to it!"

-0000-

The new training hall was a converted theatre of some sort, Hajime had been told, and it still retained some of its original architectural features. One of the best ones was a big hall with a fountain in the middle. Hajime imagined that it had once been used for gala receptions, but now they used it as a place to spar when it was too hot to work outside. The fountain had been modified so it now used water more efficiently and made a fine mist that helped keep the room cool. It was a good place to sit and chat and watch others while you rested.

Hajime rubbed at a sore spot on his cheek and sighed. He would have a big bruise there later for sure. He stretched his hands out and wiggled his fingers. He was so close, but he just could not get it right. He had figured out the theory behind it and when he concentrated really hard he could make chakra strings. However, as soon as he was distracted, they disappeared. He had been sparring with his team mate and the second he had tried to generate chakra strings, Sano had used the opening and attacked him, knocking him flat with a well controlled stream of sand. Hajime sighed again, he was never going to figure it out and he would be left behind all his class mates. Sano could manipulate sand as well as some of the chunin. Even the Kazekage had noticed and complimented him on his progress. Sano was smart too; he was at the top of their class. Hajime was somewhere in the middle and he was sure that very soon he would drop to the bottom. Hajime sighed a third time, maybe he should think about trying something else.

"Hey, hey, Haji, Sano! Whatcha doin'?" Tara yelled, waving at them as she came into the hall.

Hajime felt his shoulders hunch. That was all he needed. Tara was sure to tease him about losing to Sano.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital having lessons?" he asked. Tara was training to become a medic-nin.

"Cancelled." She shrugged. "All of a sudden, not sure why. So, I thought I'd come here and spar a little." She patted the bamboo practice sword strapped to her back. She craned her neck to look at Sano. Their team mate was sprawled on his back, next to the fountain. She stepped closer and leaned over him. "Is he asleep? It's hardly time for that yet."

Hajime looked over. "No. He's playing chess."

Tara wrinkled her nose. "What? He's just lying there. There's no board or anything."

Hajime tapped his forehead. "In here. It's a visualization exercise."

"Doesn't chess need two people?" Tara squatted down and peered at Sano. "Kinda seems pointless otherwise." She shook her head. "Boys are weird."

One of Sano's eyes cracked open. "You're too close, brat."

"Sour puss." Tara grinned. "So, who wants to spar with me? I'll go easy on you."

Sano snorted and closed his eye. Tara stuck her tongue out at him and then swiveled around to face Hajime.

"So how about it, string fingers? I'll give you another bruise and balance out your face for you."

"Don't call me that!"

"Oooh, touchy, touchy." Tara shook her head. "Just go ask him already, Haji. What's the worst that could happen?"

"He might yell at me." Hajime looked down at his hands. "He might say no." He winced at how small and pathetic his voice sounded.

The look on Tara's face indicated that she also thought he sounded lame. "Then you'd finally be able to move on to something else. And Kankuro-san yells at everyone, so that's nothing special." She laughed. "C'mon, let's spar and forget about it."

Hajime frowned at her. She was right. Tara usually was. But she did not have to be so cheerful about it.

"Isn't weird to have your lessons cancelled just out of the blue like that?" he asked.

"Who knows? They didn't even let us in the building."

"Really? That's weird. And no reason why?"

Tara shrugged. "Nope. Does it really…" She paused, looking puzzled. "Are you doing that?"

"Doing what?"

"Making that chakra pulse. It's getting stronger…no…it's getting closer. Can't you feel it?"

"I…no…wait."

Sano sat up. He patted the marble under him. "It's coming through here."

"Hey! Who's doing that?"

One of their teachers was hurrying over, a concerned look on his face. Everyone shrugged. The man frowned and then his eyes widened.

"Everyone out! Now!"

"But…" Tara started to protest.

"It was on order, let's go." Sano said.

They had just reached the door, which was blocked by students going out and curious shinobi looking in, when there was a rumble. Hajime looked over his shoulder; he thought that he saw the fountain shift a little. Their teacher was standing near it, hands working at some jutsu, when there was a loud crack. Lines appeared in the marble near the top of the fountain and water began to stream out. The water whipped around, looking and sounding more like a mass of wriggling snakes than a fluid. It lashed out at the teacher who had not quite finished his hand signs.

"No!" someone gasped beside Hajime.

Someone else screamed and everyone began to push their way through the door. There was a mash up of people, panicked students trying to get out and shinobi trying to get in. Hajime felt a hand grab his arm. It was Sano.

"Hang on, and don't fall down. Grab Tara!"

Hajime was able to snag her practice sword and pull her upright just before she would have been tumbled over by a large shinobi pushing his way in. Judging by the way he was dressed, he was probably on patrol in the area. A second man joined him.

"Stay calm and leave the building," he ordered and then turned his attention to the scene in front of him. "What do you think, Yano?"

"Someone's controlling the water, but I can't get a lock on them. We've got to hold it off until these students get out. Otherwise…" Yano nodded at the runny mess on the floor.

The big shinobi nodded, a grim expression on his face. "Never. Not while I'm between them and this."

Yano chuckled. "Always so dramatic. So, you'll stop the water from attacking them and I'll figure out how to seal it off?"

"Right! Let's go!"

"We've got to get out," Sano said.

"We're trying. There're too many people," Tara said.

"You heard them. They aren't going to be able to do anything until we're all out of the way. We're just holding them back like this. It's going to get them killed. Just look at that thing."

"We could use the other entrance," Hajime said.

"What? Where?"

"I think it's that way." Hajime pointed.

"You think! Idiot! You'd better be sure, otherwise don't say anything," Tara yelled.

"It's there." Hajime was almost sure.

"Let's go then. Lead the way," Sano ordered.

Their path took them away from the scene of the attack, which was a piece of good luck. Hajime took one final look at the two shinobi defending his classmates, before turning a corner and pushing open the door he found there.

"What is this place?" Tara asked, looking around the room they had entered.

"I think it was a kitchen, from when this was a reception hall. We were at the main entrance before, but this is the entrance waiters would use to bring food and stuff in."

"How do you know that?" Sano asked.

"My brother told me. He's an architect and his company is working on modifying this building to make it a school."

"Oh. Well, let's get out of here." Sano waved a hand at the sinks. "It might find us in here."

Hajime gulped and nodded.

"But what about the others, shouldn't we let people know there's another way out," Tara said. "We should…"

She was interrupted by an explosion from the hall.

"I don't think we should go back that way."

"I hope everyone got out." Tara's face had gone pale. "We have to help, Sano."

"How? You saw what I did. The water was slicing people up like they were vegetables. We would just be in the way. We don't know enough to help fight something like that. There was a lot of chakra behind it, you just don't…" He stopped and made a face. Hajime recognized the expression; it was the look he got when he was working on some difficult chess problem.

"Sano!"

"Give him a moment, Tara. He's thinking."

"Now's not the time for that!"

"Stop screeching, brat." Sano rubbed his forehead. "We can't help fight against all that chakra, but maybe we could stop the water."

"How's that going to help?"

"I'm not sure that it will. The chakra will probably keep the water already in the building animated, but it will prevent more water coming in to be used as a weapon. I'm not sure, but it might create a physical disconnect in the chakra flow too. Maybe not permanent, but enough that it will give someone enough time to start a counter attack." He saw the look on Tara's face. "What?"

"I didn't understand any of that! Are you saying we have to turn off the fountain? Like shutting off a tap. That's stupid!"

"Well, it's the best I could do with you screeching in my ear!"

"Fountains don't have taps, fool!"

"Brat!"

"What about a shut off valve? For the building. Would that work?"

Sano stared at Hajime blankly a moment. "It might. If we could find it. Is there such a thing?"

"I think so. My brother's a plumber and he told me that all the major buildings in the village can be disconnected from the main wells."

"I thought you said your brother was an architect?" Tara said.

"That's my other brother."

"Isn't there a vet too? Just how many brothers do you have?"

"Tara! That might work. Do you know where the valve is?" Sano asked.

"Probably in the basement. On the side of the building that faces the street."

"Let's go then!"

They ran as fast as they could and soon found their way to a large room that seemed right to Hajime. He was pretty sure they had found the right room; it was filled with pipes, metal tanks, and other, unidentifiable, things.

"Oooh, how're we supposed to find it in here? The whole place is filled with taps and things," Tara said, waving her arms around at all the pipes.

"I think this is the boiler room too." Hajime said, gasping for breath (and noticing that Tara was barely winded). "Maybe something's got a label."

"We don't have time to read labels!"

Sano had his hands on his knees, trying to get his wind back. He straightened up, grabbed Tara's ear and pulled hard. "Brat! Find that chakra stream and follow it until you find a valve."

"Ouch! Hey!" Tara clouted Sano on the side of his head, almost knocking him over. "Don't be so bossy. I got it." She pointed. "It's up there. Way up there. Why's it so high up?!" she wailed.

"It's at street level, where the pipes come in from the wells," Hajime said. "We can climb up no problem." He started towards the tangle of pipes.

Something hissed nearby. A tendril of water slipped out of a drain in the floor.

"Ooh, big problem. Big problem!"

"It knows we're here," Sano said.

"What?! It's _water_! How does it _know_ anything?!" Tara threw her hands out in dismay.

"Stop screeching at me and go!" Sano raised his hands and started to make signs. A wall of sand rose up to shoulder height. Sano grimaced, they had found the one place in the village that did not have much sand around and he was not skilled enough to draw more from the walls and floor. It would have to be enough. All he needed to do was to keep the water away long enough for Hajime and Tara to shut off the valve.

Something slammed into the shield, making him step back. The water tried to dart to one side and Sano pivoted, moving the shield to a new location. He stretched the shield as wide as he dared. The water stream slashed at the sand a second time with a screech that sounded more like metal on metal than water on sand.

"Hurry, hurry," he muttered.

"Sano! Watch out! Left!" Tara yelled.

Sano jerked his head left and his eyes went wide. The water stream had split into two. One had attacked the shield head on while the other had slipped around and was heading straight for his unprotected flank.

Classic maneuver, Sano thought. Just classic. Crap.

He was not going to be able to do anything in time to stop the attack. He braced himself for an impact.

Tara yelled again, closer this time. Something whistled by his ear, straight at the water stream. Water hissed and sizzled as the stream was severed. Tara had attacked it with her practice sword, which was glowing pale blue. It took Sano a moment to realize what was happening, she was running chakra along one side of the sword to create a blade. Sano knew that she had been learning to create a chakra scalpel as part of her medical training, but he had not realized that she had become so good at it.

Tara slashed a second time and then held the sword out in front of her, waiting for the next attack. Blue flickered along the bamboo shaft; she was not going to be able to maintain the edge for much longer. She had never made such a big blade before and then moved around so much. It was really hard.

"C'mon Haji, turn that thingy off!"

Hajime climbed quickly, using chakra for footholds and pipes for hand holds. Once he got to the valve he was going to have to rely on chakra to keep him balanced because he could see that he would need both hands to turn the valve. He hoped it was not rusted open.

"Righty tighty, lefty loosey," he muttered. "And don't break, please don't break."

He was a meter or so away when Tara screamed. It was a genuine cry of pain and not one of her normal, annoying yells. Then Sano yelled and there was a crash. Hajime was just turning to look when something grabbed his leg and pulled hard. He fell a short way and landed on another pipe, the impact knocking the air out of his lungs. He looked down, a tendril of water had wrapped around his leg. He grabbed onto the pipe, curling around it and holding on for dear life. He was high enough up that if he fell to the floor, the impact would seriously injure, if not kill him. Hajime kicked out, trying to dislodge the water, but it only wrapped tighter and was somehow cutting through the material of his trousers. He looked up. He was just so close. He wrapped one arm around the pipe and reached out with the other.

You can do this, he thought, center yourself and concentrate. It's not that far. Just a few twists, that's all.

He focused on his breathing, on his chakra and tried to forget the pain in his ribs and his leg. His visualized what it would look like, two or three thin lines of glowing chakra. His world narrowed to his hand, the valve, and a burning sensation in his gut and arms.

Just this once, he thought. Work just this once. Please.


	6. A Reflective Pool

Five-A Reflective Pool

"Well?" Ryo asked. She rubbed at her neck; her neural interfaces were irritating the tender skin there. "Hey, Kondo, answer me."

For a moment he did not say anything and his eyes remained unfocused. Then he released his breath in a huge sigh and dropped his hands. "We are making some progress. We have met with some resistance, but in the end it will not be enough. They should be receiving my demands about now." He frowned at her. "You should address me with more respect. I am your employer after all."

"Fine. Kondo-_san_. Shouldn't we be getting ready for some sort of attack? There's no way they won't try to stop us."

"True, but we will be ready. The only way into this place is the desert and right now it is too hot to come that way, even if anyone knew where the entrance was. There is only one person alive now who does and it is unlikely that he will help. And if he does," Kondo shrugged, "they will be exhausted by the trip and easy prey for your little toys."

"Don't call them that!" Ryo snapped. "What about the passages behind us?"

"Only one way into those and _he_ won't help anyone get in there either." Kondo snorted. "Fools! I told them it was a bad idea to set things up this way. But no! They had to listen to the _genius_ engineer. His sister's guild hall was a poor choice for the primary reservoir. Well, now they are all gone and Ebizo will pay!"

"But they're not all gone. The Kazekage's brother…"

"Is not a true puppeteer. He was not trained by the guild. His father all but stole the puppets he uses and in any case, they are not designed for the passages down here. The boy knows nothing about it and even if he did, Ebizo will not help him."

"Maybe." Ryo did not look convinced. "But you can't really believe that they will just give in to your demands. And what happens after? You haven't thought this through."

Kondo raised an eyebrow. "It's a little late now for you to say that isn't it? And why do you care? Regardless of what happens to me, you will get your vengeance against the Third's children. That's all you want, correct?"

"That's what Shinju wanted. And…me too I guess. Those three…after what their father did…what they did. That monster became Kazekage and then cut us off. No more weapons orders, no more contracts. Nothing! And _then_, they came after our clan, just because we found clients they did not like. And now we've been reduced to…to this. That blood line shouldn't be in positions of power. They should be eliminated!"

"Hmm, if your people had done your job right you would have defeated the Kazekage and wouldn't have had to go to Orochimaru for protection."

"We did our job! We created the perfect weapons! It was those Shitenshounin who messed it up. And those interfering Leaf shinobi."

"Well, once this is over, the Sand Siblings will no longer be in positions of power and will share your humiliation as exiles." Kondo raised an eyebrow. "I almost get the impression that you would welcome the opportunity to fight with them, though."

Ryo nodded, imagining what she could do to Sabaku no Kankuro with her weapons. "I would welcome it. Shinju shouldn't be the only one to die out here."

"Hmm, well, one never knows what might happen. In any case, let's prepare for the next phase. It's time we sent the old man a little wake up call."

-0000-

Kankuro paused, one hand on the latch to the door. He had never been to the large compound on the edge of the village where Ebizo and Chiyo had lived in seclusion. He clenched his fist around the latch until his knuckles turned white.

"Damn!" He pulled his hand away. "This can't be right."

"What? Can we go inside? It's getting very hot out here."

Kankuro looked at Kiba; the Leaf shinobi and his dog were wearing almost identical expressions of discomfort.

"Humph, it's just starting, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Then let's go in. We _were_ told to hurry."

"Yeah, yeah."

Kankuro still did not move. He still could not quite believe what Keiko had said, but she was never wrong. And the fact that she had issued an order meant that it had to be serious.

He had not seen Ebizo for several months. The old man had sat in on the council sessions held in the wake of the Akatsuki's attack on Gaara, but then returned to this place. Other than his lecture during that frantic trip to find Gaara, he had said little to Kankuro or anyone else, although the puppeteer had often felt the old man's eyes on him.

Kankuro remembered his shock that day in the hospital. First, he had been amazed to find that he was still alive and then stunned speechless to see Chiyo and Ebizo. He had thought that they had sworn never to become involved in village business again. His first thought on seeing her had been that she was there to take them back. Kankuro had known that his father had gotten his puppets from Chiyo and that she had not been entirely willing to give then away. He had never gotten the chance to hear the full story from his father nor the opportunity to ask Chiyo before she died.

You didn't take proper care of them, a voice had whispered in his head, his father's voice. You were careless and reckless, so now she'll take them away.

A chill had run down his spine at the sound of that voice, making him shiver so hard that Temari had thought he was having a relapse.

Someone whined behind him, bringing him back to the present. He looked over his shoulder.

"Damn, you two are wimps."

"It's _hot_!" Kiba lifted one foot. "I think my sandals are starting to melt."

Akamaru barked. The nin-dog was doing a little dance, trying to keep his foot pads off the hot ground.

"Okay, okay, damn." Kankuro squared his shoulders and took hold of the door handle again. "Let's just do this."

It was much cooler inside, both Kiba and Akamaru heaved sighs of relief. After a few moments Kiba made a face.

"What?"

"There's water here, lots of water. I can smell it. So, is that him there?"

Kankuro looked ahead and saw that it was Ebizo sitting on the ground in the middle of the large hall on a raised platform.

"Is that a…he's got a fishing pole!" Kiba frowned. "That's just weird."

Ebizo's head lifted at the sound of Kiba's loud voice ringing through the hall and Kankuro could see that he was scowling.

"Whatever, c'mon."

Kankuro led the way over and saw that Ebizo was seated in front of what looked like a small well or pond. Kiba had been right, he was dangling a fishing pole into the water.

"Ebizo-jii-sama, we've been sent…"

"Be more respectful of your elders!" Ebizo snapped. "I was meditating and you have interrupted me." He scowled at the dog-nin. "So. The Leaf are here. Again." His gaze swiveled back to Kankuro. "It seems this new generation cannot do anything on their own."

Kankuro opened his mouth, but his retort was halted by a vision of Temari brandishing her fan at him. Baki was standing behind her with a disapproving look on his face. He took a deep breath and tried again.

"Ebizo-jii-sama, the Kazekage has ordered me to gather information on the locations of the wells. You might not have heard, but yesterday…"

"Of course, I have heard." Ebizo shook his fishing pole. "I knew almost the moment the old fool arrived. And I know about how you have all been fumbling around, trying to stop him. Pathetic. This village has learned nothing. If you hadn't been running around out in the desert this wouldn't have happened. Didn't you learn anything the last time you ran off without thinking?" His gaze flicked to Kankuro's scrolls. "Where is Shanshouo?" The old man's face got long and sad. "Poor Chiyo-nii-chan would be upset to see him treated so poorly."

Kiba had not noticed before, but Kankuro was only carrying two scrolls. He remembered what the kid, Hajime, had said about Shanshouo. He looked at Kankuro. The puppeteer's face had gone the same colour as his face paint and Kiba could hear his knuckles crack as he clenched his fists.

"I would never…I'm trying to fix him. I _will_ fix him! And you know damn well that I was against the search effort! If you thought it was such a shitty idea then you should have said something!"

The old man's bushy eyebrows were twitching with annoyance. "I see that manners were left out of your education, along with the proper protocols concerning the wells. The only people who posses this information are the appointed defenders, the head of the puppet guild, and the Kazekage. You," he pointed a bony finger at Kankuro, "are none of those things, boy."

"If the Kazekage is allowed to know, then why haven't you told him?"

Ebizo sniffed. "He has never asked."

"What?!" Kankuro roared. "What the hell kind of pathetic excuse for a…"

"Kankuro," Kiba interjected. "Maybe we should just…you know…do what we were told."

Kankuro stopped, but Kiba could hear him growling curses under his breath.

Kiba looked at Ebizo. "We were told to check on you Ebizo-jii-sama. So now that we know you're safe could you maybe go to the Kazekage and tell him…"

"Were you not listening to me?! I cannot go anywhere at this time." Ebizo's voice turned petulant. "And do you really expect me to go out in this heat? My poor old bones could not take it." He sighed. "It is so terribly exhausting having to deal with you two as well as these other fools."

"Where?!" Kankuro demanded. "How many? You have to tell us so we can…"

"Have to? I don't _have_ to tell you anything, boy. What I _must_ do is my job and you are interfering with that." He sighed. "It is all so tiring. If poor Chiyo-nii-chan were here, this would be so much easier."

Kankuro snorted. He had had enough of this whiny old man; he just needed to get a little information to take back to Baki and Gaara. "Look, at least tell us how many there are, so we can report something back. If nothing else we can try to figure out where they came from."

"Humph, I already know that. Kondo Heisuke has been living in one of our major sea ports since he left here thirty years ago. As for the others, I am not entirely sure, but I suspect that they were in, or near, the Sound Village."

"The Sound! You mean they're Orochimaru's men!? How many?"

"Not precisely, those two were…"

"You mean there're just three of them! That's it?! What the hell?!" Kankuro threw his arms out in frustration.

"I said _were_. The perimeter defenses eliminated one of them and I am monitoring the others. And you should know better than to count strength only in numbers, boy. I have not been able to get a read on his remaining companion, but Kondo is using our own water supply against us to cause significant damage and that has created fear and panic. Something we cannot have at this time of year. I suspect that…" he stopped, frowning.

"What the hell is that?" Kankuro could hear a rumbling coming from somewhere under his feet.

"Whatever it is, it's got a massive pulse of chakra behind it," Kiba said. "And it's coming this way. Fast." He dropped into a crouch. "Here it comes."

Ebizo started to say something but was interrupted by an explosion of water out of the small pool. The tiles around the edges shot off in all directions. Kiba ducked a large chunk and then threw up his arms to block the smaller fragments. The water whipped around, looking like it was searching for something. A thin stream passed by Kiba's arm and he was surprised to see it cut through his shirt. He sank deeper into his crouch and pulled out a kunai.

"Don't let it touch you, Akamaru."

Akamaru growled in acknowledgement. He could smell chakra and killing intent in the water, but there was also something else. Some combination of metal, oil, and poison that was unfamiliar, but made his hackles rise. Whatever it was, it smelled bad. He barked several times.

"Right." Kiba acknowledged the warning and tried to find what Akamaru had sensed, but the flailing mass of water made it difficult to see.

Kankuro had also drawn a weapon and had positioned himself between Ebizo and the well. It was pretty obvious that the attack was directed at the old man. Water slashed at him and met his kunai with a clash that sounded more like metal than liquid. He took a quick glance behind; Ebizo had dropped the fishing pole and was working through a series of hand signs, his gnarled fingers moving faster than Kankuro would have thought possible.

"Shit!"

In the brief moment he had looked away, the water had slashed at him; cutting through his heavy shirt like it was nothing. Kankuro put all his concentration into what he was doing, there had been no time to get either of his puppets out, he was just going to have to stick with his kunai until Ebizo finished whatever he was doing. The hand signs seemed to be going on forever.

Kiba had fought his way to Kankuro's side. "It's after Ebizo-jii-sama!"

"No shit!" Kankuro drew a second kunai.

It seemed like a very long time, but was probably not more than a minute, but all they were aware of was the hissing of the water, the clank and crash of their kunai, and harsh breathing (punctuated by Kankuro swearing). Kiba was not sure how long they could keep it up, the water seemed endless, but he could not stop to make hand signs for his Gatsūga. Then he heard Ebizo slap his hands together, the loud smack was followed by a high pitched hissing that could be heard over the sound of the water.

The broken tiles rose into the air, along with dark coloured sand. Kiba did not know where it all came from, the room had appeared to be clear of sand, but it surrounded the water and then began to mix with it. The resulting mud fell to the floor and began to flow back into the pool. Mud and tiles closed over the top and within moments the water was all pushed into the pool, but Kiba could see the new cover pulse and twitch as the water tried to get back out.

"And now, to fuse it…and send a warning." Ebizo stepped up to the pool, hands flashing in more signs. A ball of white lightning appeared in one fist, he slapped it down on top of the mixture of tile and sand. It crackled and there was an explosion and a flash of light. When the flash cleared Kiba could see that the pool was now covered with what looked like dark tinted glass.

"What was…was that a Chidori?" he asked, amazed.

The old man brushed at his sleeves. "Humph, it should be obvious that…"

Akamaru barked a warning. A dark shiny object about the length of Kiba's forearm was flying through the air, straight at Ebizo.

"Hey!"

"Watch it!" Kankuro yelled at the same moment.

Everything seemed to slow down, the way it did in battle sometimes and Kankuro was able to make out all the little details; the look of shock and surprise on Ebizo's face as he whirled around, Kiba's wide eyes, the trickle of blood mixing with his tattoo, and the drops of water spraying from Akamaru as he lunged forward. The scorpion was way too big to be real, but it looked just like one. Every detail was perfect and Kankuro was sure that the poison gleaming at the tip of its tail would be just as deadly as the real thing.


	7. Tea and Ultimatums

Six-Tea and Ultimatums

The Suna hospital was never quiet. Any place that dealt with shinobi at training, work, or play always had some activity, but it had been some time since Baki had seen it this busy. There was always an increase in the number of heat stroke and dehydration cases during the days of the Crucible, but the recent attacks had further increased the number of people with those ailments. People were panicking and that made them even more vulnerable to the heat and there were additional injuries and deaths directly resulting from the attacks.

Baki frowned at the shinobi coming towards him in the corridor. "Yano, what are you doing up?"

Yano waved his concern away. "I'm fine Baki-san, really. They needed the bed and I needed to stretch my legs. Thought I'd look in on those kids." He shook his head in amazement. "They really saved the day with their quick thinking."

"That they did," Baki agreed. "The casualty list would have been much higher otherwise." He paused. "I am sorry about your partner."

"Thank-you. He died protecting students, our future. I'd consider that a good death."

"Agreed." Baki gestured down the hall. "I'll go with you. They're all in the same room."

Hajime was the only one awake when then entered.

"Just stay as you are, Hajime," Baki said, holding up one hand to stop the boy from sitting up.

"How's it going, Hajime?" Yano waved at him.

"I'm fine, Yano-san, thank-you for asking." Hajime looked at the bandages on his arms and hands and then at the other beds in the room. "Sano was awake a little while ago. He lost a lot of blood, but they say he'll be okay. Tara hasn't woken up yet. She…" He stopped and bit his lip. "I wasn't fast enough."

"Hajime…" Baki started.

"Baki-san, there you are! I've been looking all over for you." Matsuri came into the room. "Gaara-sama would like to see you. He's on the third floor." She came over to the side of the bed and adjusted the covers. "Hajime, you should rest while you can. You know once Tara wakes up you won't have a second of quiet. Right?" she smiled at the boy.

Hajime managed a weak smile back. "I guess."

"I'll sit with him for a bit," Yano offered. "We should let Baki-san be on his way."

"That's a good idea. Thank-you Yano-san," Matsuri said. "Please, Baki-san, this way."

Baki followed the kunoichi back into the hallway. "Will the girl be alright?"

Matsuri's worried look deepened. "We hope so. She used far too much chakra. Only time will tell."

Baki nodded. "Did the Kazekage say what he wanted?"

"No, only that I should find you quickly."

They picked up the pace and soon Matsuri showed him into a room. Gaara, Temari, and Eisuke were waiting for him.

"Baki, there you are! What took you so long, Matsuri?"

"I'm sorry Temari-san."

"It's not her fault," Baki said. "I was visiting with those three genin."

"How are they?" Eisuke asked. "I spoke with Hajime's mother. She would like to see him as soon as possible."

"He's doing well. She could come anytime," Matsuri said.

"Is it true that he used chakra strings? I knew the boy wanted to be a puppeteer, but I had no idea that he had progressed so far."

"It seems that he has, although he pushed it too hard and gave himself chakra burns. Still, his family should be proud," Baki said.

Eisuke nodded. However, he was not so sure that Hajime's family would see it that way. Eisuke knew the family; not all of them were pleased with the Hajime's desire to become a shinobi and were even less impressed with his decision to become a puppeteer. Suna's puppeteers had always been a small group and their secretive nature had made them unpopular. With Sasori's defection and subsequent attack on Gaara, they had fallen into outright disfavour. Even after almost dying while trying to save his brother, Kankuro was still regarded with some suspicion because he used puppets made by Sasori of the Red Sands.

"Have there been new developments?" Baki asked, bringing Eisuke out of his thoughts.

Gaara nodded.

"It's not good." Temari gestured to some papers on the table. "Have a look at these. This letter was delivered to the administrative building. And these others have been distributed around town, almost like pamphlets. Eisuke brought these with him."

Baki read the document, only a slight hitch in his breathing giving away his surprise.

"What do you think, Baki?" Gaara asked after he had finished.

"How widely have these been distributed?" Baki looked at Eisuke.

"As far as I can tell, there have been only two or three places they've been left. The unfortunate thing is: they're spots that get a lot of traffic. This will spread by word of mouth more than anything."

"Well, we can't give in to this man's demands," Temari declared.

"Of course not," Eisuke said. "But there's another problem, people are getting scared. Not everyone has shinobi training, Temari and when those people get scared, well sometimes…"

"They do stupid things," she finished. "I'll bet that he's hoping that panic will do some of the job for him."

"That's entirely possible," Eisuke said. "I am sorry to say it, but people are already beginning to wonder. If the Kazekage can't deal with attacks on the water supply, maybe he should step down. That's what some people are saying."

"Fools," Temari muttered.

"Not all, but they are scared. This Kondo fellow, he's thought about this a lot and his timing's pretty good," Eisuke said.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Gaara asked.

"For now, try and counter the rumours. I can help with that. And if it looks like business as usual among the shinobi then that will help keep people calm."

"Good." Gaara nodded. "What do you think Baki? Can we go after him? He's threatened to destroy our water supply if we do."

"It appears that he could do it, but if he was going to, I think he would have already done it. I believe he's counting on pressure from the Council to make you step down, Kazekage-sama."

"Not an option," Temari said. "Right Gaara!"

"I will not give into his demands and I will keep everyone safe."

"Agreed." Baki nodded. "If Eisuke can help keep the civilian population calm that will be a big help. Kondo knows as well as we do that fear can be more effective than the largest army if used properly. But we still have to find him and stop him. We need information for that; I'm not sending any teams out into the desert until we are absolutely sure where they are going and it's something I'd like to avoid if possible."

"Can it really be avoided?" Eisuke asked.

"Perhaps. I am hoping that the information Kankuro brings back will help us find a way to counter attack."

"He's been gone awhile." Temari made an irritated noise. "If that big idiot is goofing off somewhere…"

"I'm sure he's not," Gaara said. "I know sometimes he doesn't sound like it, but he takes his duties seriously."

"I know, I know, but if he's not back yet and he's not goofing off… He'd better be alright," Temari said, trying to keep the worry out her voice.

-0000-

Two kunai flew at the scorpion. Kankuro's pinged off its back and Kiba's stuck under one of its joints.

Crap, he had a better angle, Kankuro thought.

Heh, my aim is better, Kiba thought and flashed a smug grin at the Sand shinobi.

Neither kunai stopped the creature, but they pushed it off course so Ebizo could dodge its attack. The scorpion landed on the ground, legs scrabbling on the stone floor, and launched itself at Ebizo again. The old man pushed both hands into his sleeves and spun away. He continued to turn and pulled his hands out of his sleeves, flowing from the evasive maneuver into a western-style fencing lunge. A long narrow stick had appeared in his right hand and it punched through the scorpion's carapace with a crunch. Ebizo pinned it to the ground with one hand; the scorpion thrashed and hissed. He produced a second stick from his other sleeve and after a few moments of squinting and frowning he stabbed it into the creature's back. There was a sizzle, a bluish flash of light, and the smell of ozone. The scorpion twitched a few more times and then went limp.

Ebizo grunted. He pulled one of the sticks away and after a few moments of careful consideration he pushed it in again. Metal crunched and snapped.

"There, that should do it," he said, looking satisfied.

"What the hell is that thing? A puppet? There were no chakra strings," Kankuro said.

"How much stuff do you have stuck in your sleeves?" Kiba asked.

Ebizo glared at Kiba. He used the sticks (which Kankuro had identified as graphite rods) to pick the scorpion up and walked away without a word.

Kiba looked at Kankuro and shrugged; the Sand shinobi rolled his eyes and then limped after the old man. They followed Ebizo into what appeared to be a workroom. The room was neat with several large benches and racks with tools. Ebizo set the scorpion down and moved away. He opened a cupboard over a second bench, took out several items, and arranged them in a neat line.

"What is he doing?" Kiba muttered.

"What the hell?" Kankuro exclaimed. "Tea! Look we don't have time for…"

"Pah! I see you have learned nothing from what I told you that day about the Third's disappearance. You still want to charge off without thought or information. There is always time to assess your enemy's strengths. And I need to sooth my aging bones, and you," he gestured at Kankuro's leg, "need to do something about that." Ebizo opened another cupboard and removed a first aid kit.

Kankuro took a deep breath, for a moment Kiba thought that he might argue with the old man. Instead, he took the kit from Ebizo and started to treat the cut on his leg. Ebizo snorted and turned back to his tea.

"Yeah, but tea. _Hot_ tea," Kiba muttered.

"It makes perfect sense in this weather. A drink that is close to optimum body temperature will not require additional energy to cool or heat the body. Cold water may feel better at first, but in the long run will cause your body to produce additional heat to warm your internal organs up."

"Riiight." Kiba made a face. No one had mentioned that the old man was a little nuts.

Kankuro had finished bandaging his leg and was looking at the scorpion.

"Have you seen something like this before? It's not a puppet."

Ebizo ignored him and continued fussing over his tea, measuring out leaves from several tins and muttering over the kettle. Kiba's nose twitched at the smells, cloves, cinnamon, ginseng, jasmine, dried apricots, and nuts, wafting through the air.

The old guy has some strange taste, Kiba thought. He looked at the scorpion and his nose wrinkled. It still smelled of ozone, oil, and poison.

Kankuro reached out and carefully touched it, running one finger over the jointed tail. "This isn't metal at all…I've never seen…" He tapped it harder and then ran a finger nail over it. Something about it was familiar, but he could not quite place it. He chewed on his lip, thinking. "I know! I've seen bow strings made out of this…it's some sort of aramid fiber. But it's been spun into plates somehow…"

Ebizo looked up from his preparations, eyebrows raised. "Is that so? What else?" He gestured at the work bench. "Use whatever tools you need."

Kankuro scowled at the old man; they really did not have the time for this, and he did not like being subjected to what was obviously a test. However, he was curious to know more about the scorpion; how it was powered, and how it had been controlled. Its movements had been so quick and fluid, much more so than any preprogrammed or remotely operated device Kankuro had ever seen. In his experience, only chakra controlled objects moved like that.

He stretched out his fingers, looking over the impressive selection of fine, well maintained tools. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw Kiba smirking at him.

"What?"

Kiba's grin got bigger. "Isn't there some saying about curiosity and cats?"

"Shut the hell up!" Kankuro felt his face go red. "Ebizo-jii-sama's right. We need to know more about what it is, in case we have to fight others like it again. It isn't a chakra-based weapon. Did you sense it coming? Did the mutt?"

"Hell yeah, we smelled it coming."

"Maybe, but you still looked pretty damn surprised by it."

"Who tagged it with a kunai?"

"Lucky shot. And it didn't stop it. That was…"

The old man snorted, halting the argument. Kiba and Kankuro looked at Ebizo; the old man was watching them over the rim of his teacup. Kiba grinned sheepishly; Kankuro muttered something and bent over the scorpion again. It was bad enough that the old man had made them look like idiots by succeeding where they had failed, but now he was making Kankuro feel like an idiot because he did not know what the thing was.

No way he does that, Kankuro thought, I'll figure it out. I always do.

That was how it had always been. After his father's death, Kankuro had had no one to teach him puppetry. Ebizo and his sister had shut themselves off from the village, Sasori was long gone, and so were all the other puppeteers of Suna. So he had figured it out himself. Baki had helped when he could as had Keiko, but there had also been many hours of solitary practice, trial and error, and constant tinkering.

He flipped the scorpion over and got to work, within moments he was oblivious to the old man and Kiba, to the pain in his leg, and the urgency of the whole situation.

"A light weight metal in the frame, the shell has zinc oxide nanowires woven into the fabric to provide power. It's got some pretty good sensors too, but to transmit and receive all that information so quickly…" Kankuro chewed on the inside of his lip, thinking. He bent over the scorpion again, taking a closer look at its head. He frowned over what he saw. "These photoelectric cells, there's so many of them…and they're hooked up to…it looks like a regular CCD, but there's no way…"

He looked at Ebizo, he was not sure if he should say his theory out loud. The old man would probably just laugh at him.

Ebizo set his tea cup down and gestured for Kankuro to continue.

"The signal conversion…it's electrical to neural instead of digital. That's the only way it could move like it did. But that sort of device…it's impossible."

One of Ebizo's bushy eyebrows rose. "Impossible? Improbable and difficult yes, but as it is sitting in front of you, it is obviously not impossible. Impossible is only for those with small minds."

Kankuro scowled at him. "Fine, whatever. It's possible, but we still need to know who, and we still need to get them. You have to tell us…"

Ebizo waved one arm, cutting him off. "Humph! Your listening skills are as feeble as your powers of observation. As I've said before, I don't have to tell _you_ a thing. And as for the maker of this object." He pointed at the scorpion. "Its origins are obvious to anyone who knows how to look and should be especially so for someone who has seen their work before."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Look we don't have…"

Ebizo sighed. "Your conclusions about the controller suggested some intelligence behind all your profanity. It appears that I was mistaken. Look closely at the tail segmentation."

Kankuro's mouth worked for a moment, but then he did as Ebizo instructed. He frowned down at the tail joints.

"Oh. What the…? I thought they were mostly destroyed after they came after Gaara."

Ebizo sniffed. "It appears that you were not thorough enough. I had heard rumours that they had found refuge with the Sound. But now they have come back to attack us yet again."

"Bastards!"

"Uh, what are you two talking about?" Kiba asked.

"Those Shitenshounin bastards that came after Gaara. These tail joints are similar to those in the sword that blue-haired weirdo had."

"Oh, right. That's the mission when we saved your ass."

"Like hell! Mostly you just got in the way."

"Riiight. When we got there, his sword was chewing on your head."

Kankuro snorted. "Whatever." He looked at Ebizo. "So, they have gadgets. We beat them before, we can do it again. But…we have to find them first…" After a few moments of silence from the old man, Kankuro threw his hands up. "Fine! We'll go report back to Baki and Gaara. Gaara'll come here, you can tell him their location, he can tell us, we'll make a plan, and _then_ we'll go kick their asses."

Ebizo sniffed. "Again, a small glimmer of intelligence. There may be some hope for you yet, boy. While you are gone, I'll…"

A muffled explosion rumbled through the building. It sounded to Kankuro as though it came from the other side of the village. Before anyone could say anything, the floor began to vibrate.

"What the hell?"

Kiba looked out the door. "I think something's trying to get through that well thing again."

They hurried out in to the large room; the vibrations had stopped by the time they got to the covered pool.

Kankuro peered down at it. "Will it hold?"

"For a little while."

"What was that other noise?" Kiba asked.

"Most likely an attack on the village. They appear to be increasing in frequency."

"Damn." Kankuro shook his head. "Time's up. We have to do something _now_, Ebizo-jii-sama."

The old man sighed, his mouth pinched tight in displeasure. Then he stared at the two shinobi for what felt like forever to Kiba.

"Uh, maybe we could…" Kiba shifted.

Ebizo sighed again. "This is so tiring. No man my age should have to make these types of decisions. Wait here." He turned and walked away.

"Ebizo-jii-sama…"

"I said wait!" The old man whirled around and pointed a bony finger at them. "And don't touch anything. Including that!" The finger jabbed at the sealed pool and then he marched off.

Kankuro snorted.

"Is he always like that?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"Well, he's been your teacher, right?"

"Hell, no!"

"Oh. So it was Chiyo-baa-sama?"

"No! Why would you think that they'd taught me anything?"

"Huh?" Kiba wrinkled his nose. "Because they do the same stuff you do. That's weird. So, if it wasn't them, was it Baki?"

"He doesn't know anything about puppet arts. He mostly just…what's with the twenty questions all of a sudden?"

Kiba shrugged. "I was just wondering. So, will that Hajime kid have to learn on his own too?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Kiba told him about his conversation with the boy. "You didn't know, did you?" He saw the look on Kankuro's face. "You didn't!" Kiba laughed. "That's just so weird."

"Like hell. It's just that…" Kankuro shook his head. "We don't have time for this shit. We should just…"

Ebizo had returned. He was carrying a huge scroll which he unrolled on the floor in front of them. "This was designed for two, but I think I can make a few adjustments to accommodate the animal."

Kankuro could not help himself. "And Akamaru too?"

"Shut up!"

Ebizo scowled at them and then bent over the scroll, a brush and ink pot had appeared in his hand from somewhere. He made some notations on one section. Kiba squinted at it, trying to make out the details of the writing.

There was another rumble under their feet, this time accompanied by a powerful surge of chakra. Akamaru whined, he did not like the feeling of all that power under his feet, and he really did not like what he was sensing from the scroll the old man was doodling on. The funny lines and swirls contained a lot of strange smelling energy. The entire visit had been one strange smell after another and it did not take any great instinct to realize that things were only going to get stranger.

"Damn, that's some powerful water jutsu." Kankuro frowned; he did not have much experience fighting against that sort of thing.

"Indeed." Ebizo had finished. "I suggest you allow the Leaf to deal with Kondo. You focus on whoever is operating the remote units; it is a fight more suited to your skills. I will send word to Baki to send a team to the Singing Rocks. You know where those are?"

"Yeah, but…"

"You will have an hour." Ebizo pulled a piece of paper out of his sleeve. "This will guide you to the exit."

Kankuro took the paper and gave it a quick look before turning his attention back to the scroll; he had read about something like it before, but had never believed that it could be done. "This will transfer us to some place with an identical seal, right? When did you set that up?"

"Before you were born, boy. It should still function."

"Should? What the hell does that mean?"

"And what happens in an hour?" Kiba added.

"The passage to this particular reservoir will rearrange itself and the current exit will be sealed." Ebizo sighed. "It is a sad commentary on the lack of security provided by the current generation that an old man must undertake this task alone, but…" He sighed again and then waved his finger at the two shinobi. "I strongly suggest that you be out by then."

"So you want to send us after them using that ancient thing, we take them out, wander out into the desert…during the Crucible no less, and then wait there? _That's_ your great plan?"

Before Ebizo could answer there was another deep rumble under their feet.

"Can you suggest anything better? Get into place on the scroll."

Kankuro grimaced, but did as Ebizo ordered. "But maybe Kiba should take the message back to Gaara. We," he patted his scrolls, "can take care of them, no problem."

"Hell no!" Kiba joined Kankuro on the scroll. "No way do I get left out of a good fight. And besides," he grinned, "it's easier if I come along now rather then having to find you to save your ass later."

"Humph, I suspect that both of you will need rescuing at some point." Ebizo pointed at Kiba. "You have five senses, rely on them all." The finger swiveled to Kankuro. "I do not have time to correct all the bad habits you have picked up over the years. Just remember, it does not matter how many puppets you have, it is your own heart and mind that are the shinobi's strongest weapon."

"Whatever. C'mon let's get this damn show on the road." He pointed at the scroll under his feet. "This damn thing better work. I don't want to end up a few body parts short or…"

But Ebizo had already completed the hand signs that activated the scroll's jutsu.


	8. Water, Water Everywhere

Eight-Water, Water Everywhere

The huge metal war fan slashed through the air, sending small metal bodies flying. Temari slashed again, this time on her back hand, and more attackers were repelled. She had been at this for no more than twenty minutes, but it felt like forever. The sun had reached its peak on what was the hottest day yet of the Crucible and only an idiot would spend any time outside. She felt like all the fluids in her body were being sucked right out. She was wearing goggles and a respirator to help, but they were only getting in the way. The goggles restricted her vision and the respirator provided an insufficient amount of stale air.

Don't be such a wimp, she scolded herself, next you'll be thinking something like 'this is so annoying'. Just focus on the fight. These bugs won't last forever, just stay tough for the next few minutes.

The attacks had continued to escalate, both in frequency and ferocity until finally they had focused on the main administration building, the heart of Suna's shinobi organization. A defeat there would be a blow against their strength and their morale so they had to go all out to protect the building.

A roar caught her attention. A geyser of water had exploded from the street and was attacking the shinobi guarding the front of the building. The weird thing was, even though tonnes of water were lashing through the air, nothing was getting wet. That and the fact that the water is slicing through steel like it was butter, Temari noted, watching a tendril clip one man's sword in two.

Someone yelled and the men retreated. Gaara had appeared on the rooftop, hands already moving through a series of signs. Temari frowned at him. Despite the crippling heat, Gaara was only wearing his sand armour. Although he was no longer the host of the one-tailed demon, Gaara felt that he had to continue to demonstrate the same level of strength and invulnerability. Temari was proud of his determination to present a strong persona as Kazekage, but she also worried that her little brother might push himself too far.

Gaara completed his hand signs. The roar of the water was joined by the hiss of rising sand. Sand and water rose in a twisting spiral, clashing against each other, until they were well above even the tallest building. Gaara made another series of gestures and the column of sand broadened. It spread wide enough to cast shadows on several blocks of Suna. The mass pulsed and twisted as the sand and water struggled against each other.

Gaara pressed his palms together and focused on infusing the water with sand so he could gain control of it.

Water will eventually wear a mountain down, he thought, but that takes time and lots of water. This is the desert and all its sand is at _my_ command. No one will hurt this village while I can stand.

Gaara was aware of the small metal insects slicing through the air, but he ignored them. Temari and the others would take care of them so he could concentrate on the water. He brought more sand under his control, mixing it with the sand from his gourd and after some time with pieces of the gourd itself. Both were infused with his chakra and helped improve his control over the vast amounts of sand hovering over the village.

The water attacks lessened as more was tied up in the huge column of sand. Small pockets would bubble out from the side as water tried to escape, but Gaara would direct more sand to the area, turning the slashing water into sluggish mud and then into damp sand. Sometimes a jet of water would try to spring out from the ground, but Gaara could sense them all now and any new attack was faced with a hissing mass of sand.

The scorching sun beating down on the fight began to have an effect on the water, evaporating it with quick puffs of steam. But more water took its place. Gaara's gourd had been completely dissolved and he was forced to use pieces of his armour. A detached part of Gaara's mind wondered about the effects on the village's water supply. Was it the source of all this water? Would it all be drained in the fight? By defending against it, was he causing a bigger problem and putting more lives at risk? Would it be best if he did as the attackers demanded, and stepped down?

No, he thought, if we give in to this, then what? Their next set of demands might be worse. I'm no longer the weapon my father created to defend the village, but it is still my desire to protect these people as their Kazekage. That's what the Kazekage does, that's what _he_ would do.

_Yeah! Believe it!_ A gruff voice echoed in his head. Gaara could imagine the flash of blue eyes and defiant thumbs up that would accompany the assertion.

Gaara squared his shoulders. It was time to go on the offensive. He had been capturing the water, holding it at bay, but now it was time to push back. He forced the sand down, back along the path the water had taken. He would push back to its source and attack the person behind all of this. He channeled more chakra into the sand and began to push the water, forcing it back through the ducts and tunnels. Gaara planned to use the enemy's chakra stream to track his way back to the source of the attack. He would contain the water there, and then use the combined mass of water and sand to crush the invaders.

Water and sand traveled back through the ducts and tunnels under the city, making them rumble and groan when the conflicting chakras pushed them to the breaking point. As he got closer to the source, Gaara became more aware of the chakra of the person behind it; a strong will powered by hate and an even stronger desire for vengeance. Gaara knew from experience that such emotions would, in the end, not be enough.

My desires and the desires of the other shinobi here to protect this village will win this day, he thought. Me, Temari, Baki, Kankuro, those young students in the hospital, and even Inuzuka Kiba. Together we will win over this one man's hate.

The tunnels and ducts under the city groaned and heaved with the strain of the mixture of water and sand. Gaara hoped that they would not be too badly damaged and kept on pushing. He pushed the sand out of the heart of the city, past the city's outskirts, and beyond its walls. The chakra signature of the attacker became clearer and Gaara became aware of other signatures. The tunnels were laced with jutsu, seals, and intricate power matrices. They seemed much older and different than the signature of their attacker. Gaara wondered who their makers were. One of the other chakra signatures was, however, familiar to Gaara.

"Kankuro," he murmured.

His brother was not where he was supposed to be, but Gaara was not at all surprised. Kankuro always seemed to find his way into the middle of things, even when it was not part of his orders.

Explanations could come later, Gaara decided. He would destroy the enemy and Kankuro could deal with the loose ends at the scene. He pushed forward and was encouraged to find that the water was starting to retreat away from the sand, withdrawing rather than being pushed.

Gaara did not even sense the barrier until his sand ran into it. The backlash of power gave him a stab of pain between his eyes. His sand came to a stop, but the water continued to flow unhindered, through the barrier. Gaara blinked and almost fell forward. He steadied himself and gave the barrier a tentative probe with his sand. It did not yield to his sand, but the water continued to flow through. After a few more moments of testing, he stopped. The water had retreated beyond his reach and he could not complete his assault on their attackers.

Gaara made one final set of hand signs. He formed the sand into a plug in the passage and hardened it into solid rock. It might not be possible for him to pursue their attackers any further, but he would make sure that they could no longer use this pathway to attack the village.

The plug hardened and settled into place. Gaara made one final assessment of the place and then withdrew, letting his hands drop to his sides. He had been so focused on the fight in the tunnels that he had hardly been aware of his physical surroundings on the roof top, and now the heat hit him like a punch. He took a few shaky steps and might have fallen over if a hand had not settled on his shoulder.

"Take it easy Gaara." Temari shifted her fan so it was covering her brother, shielding him from the heat and from the eyes of people in the streets. "Take a moment. It's secure for now. Those bug things left right after the water."

"Is everyone safe?"

"Safe enough. Let's…"

Baki appeared on the roof top. "Kazekage-sama! Are you alright?" Baki frowned at his student. Gaara's sand armour was gone and his skin was paler than usual. "Let's get you inside."

"I need to be sure that everyone is safe first."

"Of course, but you can do that inside. We will have people report in to you there."

Gaara frowned, aware of what Baki was trying to do, but after a moment he nodded. "Very well."

They ushered him inside the building, to a quiet corner of the medical wing. Gaara allowed a brief examination, before dismissing the medics and requesting a report on the situation. Once he was satisfied that everything was under control, he told the others what he had discovered.

"What! Kankuro! That big idiot." Temari slapped one hand to her forehead. "How did he get there? That's no where near the library."

"Was the Leaf shinobi with him?" Baki asked.

"I'm not sure. I'm not as familiar with his chakra as I am with Kankuro's." Gaara frowned. "It was quite far away from the village. I don't see how…"

He was interrupted by a scuffle in the hallway, and a moment later a shinobi rushed in, chasing a brown blur. Something brown and furry jumped into Baki's lap and ran up to the astonished jounin's shoulder.

"Baki-san, I am sorry," the shinobi said. "It just…"

"That's alright." Baki held one hand up.

"Is that Kamatari?" Gaara asked.

"No." Temari shook her head. She peered at the creature nosing at the covering on Baki's head. "It's not even a weasel."

The creature perched on Baki's shoulder peered at them with large dark eyes which were ringed with bands of silver fur. It blinked and chirped.

Baki raised one hand to pat its head. "No, not Kamatari. This is Kiki. Keiko-san must have sent her." Baki felt along the creature's back until his fingers felt the small roll of paper attached to her back with a bit of string. He carefully removed the note and unrolled it. "It is from Keiko-san. She says that she sent them on to Ebizo-jii-sama."

"She what?" Temari frowned. "What would he have to do with anything?"

Baki handed the note to Gaara.

"Ebizo-jii-sama must have some information that she knew would be useful. But how did they end up out in the desert after that?"

Baki shook his head. "Hard to say Gaara, but I'm sure that…"

Another shinobi ran into the room, this one was following a small yellow bird. It also found Baki, this time perching on the jounin's head. Temari had to stifle a giggle at the sight. Kiki was still on Baki's shoulder, standing on her hind legs so she could sniff at the newcomer.

"It's a puppet," Gaara said. "But I don't think it's one of Kankuro's."

Baki cautiously retrieved the puppet from its perch and inspected it. There was a small scroll case attached to its back. He detached it and held it out to Gaara.

"It is addressed to the Kazekage. I believe that it is from Ebizo-jii-sama."

Gaara nodded and accepted the case, he frowned over it a moment and then made a quick series of signs over the seal. The ends of the case popped open and the bird puffed out of existence, causing Kiki to jump back with an offended chirp. Gaara extracted a piece of paper from inside, unrolled it and began to read.

"I didn't know that Ebizo-jii-sama was a puppeteer," Temari said.

"Strictly speaking he was not. He designed and made them, along with many other things, but was not as interested in the direct application of the art as his sister was," Baki said.

Temari wrinkled her nose and was going to ask what that meant when Gaara looked up. "What does it say?" she asked instead.

Gaara frowned. "I am afraid that I am unable to divulge most of the contents of the letter. It seems that there are still many things for me to learn as Kazekage." He looked at the group. "What I can say is this: as we suspected, we are being attacked. They have infiltrated our water supply and have somehow found their way to places that are unknown to almost everyone in Suna. Ebizo-jii-sama is…he is aware of them and has taken steps to halt them."

"Steps?" Baki asked, although he had a feeling that he already knew the answer to his question.

Gaara nodded. "Ebizo-jii-sama has sent Kankuro and the Leaf shinobi after them. Apparently his…position gives him the right to issue such orders. Their task can be considered as an S-ranked mission with extra classifications. Ebizo-jii-sama has given them an hour to deal with the intruders before he takes additional steps to ensure the security of…the thing he protects. He suggests that we send a rescue and medical team to the Singing Rocks."

"What?" Temari exclaimed. "What are they doing way out there? They'll never survive out there right now and neither will any rescue team."

Baki looked out the small window in the room, weighing various options. "The worst of the heat has passed for the day. By the time they are ready to deploy, it might be possible to do it." He stood. "With your permission, Kazekage-sama, I'll lead them."

Gaara nodded. "Please do so." He looked at the message in his hands. "And I think that I need to pay Ebizo-jii-sama a visit. Temari, please remain here to lead our defenses should they attack again."

Temari started to protest, she wanted to go and help her brother.

"No Temari, you are needed here the most right now. I will not be long with Ebizo-jii-sama. For now," Gaara said. "Then I will return and help protect the village. That must be our priority."

"But I…" Temari stopped. "No, you're right." She glanced out the window, frowning at the thought of her brother way out there in the unforgiving heat. "Kankuro," she murmured. "Be careful, you big idiot."


End file.
